Psychology

Course summary

The course develops transferable skills which are valuable in any further study or future career. Psychology links to natural sciences, including biological, computer, and forensic sciences as well as social sciences including sociology, politics, and economics, and humanities such as history, philosophy, literature, and geography. Psychology can lead to careers in health, clinical, sport, and educational psychology, but insights into human behavior and motivation are highly useful in any field that requires critical thinking and communication skills, including the commercial sector, criminal justice, medicine, and education, among others.\ Units Studied Year 12 Unit 1: Psychological Approaches and Applications Psychology is the scientific study of minds and behavior. In this unit, you will be introduced to some basic ideas from different approaches in psychology. You will develop an understanding of how psychological approaches research and concepts can explain gender, aggression, and consumer behavior. Unit 2: Conducting Psychological Research In this unit, you will learn about the importance of research in psychological inquiry and the types of research that take place. You learn how to plan a pilot study exploring a current psychological topic and you will gather and analyse your research findings in order to present them to an audience. Units Studied Year 13 Unit 3: Health Psychology In this unit, you will learn about approaches and theories that explore or explain the reasons why an individual may engage in specific behaviors. You will use psychological approaches to examine specific behavioral and physiological addictions and to explain the reasons why it can be difficult to overcome these addictions. Unit 6: Introduction to Psychopathology In this unit, you will examine modern approaches to defining psychopathology and the changing attitudes to treatment, from ancient beliefs to the advent of confinement in asylums and modern community care practices. You will examine the types and characteristics of different mental disorders and the factors that can cause mental ill health.